I’ve passed under this location many, many, times, but today I looked up and took notice of the interesting shapes and to top it off the sky was just outstanding to compliment the shapes of the building here in Madisonville, Ky. It’s our local Kroger store! When out looking for a picture don’t just look at what’s in front of you, but look up as well!
Photo shot with the iPhone 5s with the standard camera and post processed in Snapseed.
Well, perhaps it not the ladder to heaven, but it does lead to a good picture. I’ve been eyeing the back of the restaurant that we stop at for lunch after church and today the sun and shadows were just right for this nice graphic photo.
When you see a scene you think will make a good image, but you’re not quite happy with the lighting… come back again and again. You’ll usually find by visiting the scene in different types of weather or times of day will dramatically change the look of the scene and help you get a stronger, more interesting picture.
Photo was shot with the iPhone 5s with the standard camera and post processing was done in Photoshop CS6.
Ahhh… the rights of passage from middle school and high school. Today I had a photo shoot with these four ladies who are best friends and graduating from Southside Middle School this year and they were all decked out in their finest for their “Last Bash” dance. Couldn’t pass up getting a shot with my iPhone to use as my picture of the day.
Shot with the iPhone 5s, then opened the JPG as a RAW file for processing and finished in Photoshop with a soft focus filter applied via Topaz Adjust for the final look.
Today I found this rebuilt/repainted railroad engine in our local rail yards here in Madisonville, Ky and decided it was my picture for the day. One of the things I like about Madisonville, Ky and the surrounding area is that you never know what you’ll find when out looking for pictures.
Being a railfan it’s particularly nice because we have two facilities in Western Kentucky that do this type of rebuilding and so we can see some off the wall engines and trains come through our region. I for one love it!
Photo was shot with my iPhone 5s using the standard camera and post processing was done with the Snapseed App.
I found this old bench, up against an old brick wall, at the pool hall in Nortonville, Ky. I just liked the design of the bench and all the patterns in the bricks and patches it’s received over the years.
Photo shot with my iPhone 5s using the Hipstamatic App with the John S lens and Ina’s 1969 film.
I really like today’s challenge picture. It’s so far out of my normal box that most of my photography fits in. I’ve always been great fans of the likes of Duane Michals and want to do more photography in his style now that I’m retired… well, sort of.
While I was out today railfanning I was wandering around the side and back streets of Hopkinsville, Ky looking for different vantage points to shoot from when I drove past this old store that was for rent. Judging from the windows and door I’m not too sure I’d been looking to rent it.
I really love the look, shape and design of the building so I pulled in and shot a few photos with my iPhone.
Later as I was setting next to the railroad tracks on the other side of town I decided to select and process today’s challenge picture and what you see here was done entirely on the iPhone 5s.
I opened the picture and did all the adjustments and border in the Snapseed App. I’m still amazed at what I’m able to do on a iPhone when it comes to photography. While it has it’s limits, if you learn them and know what they are you can still come away with a fine creation.
Now, with this said… I do plan to go back and shoot this with my Nikon D800 so I will have a better quality file. I think this shot may sell well on a couple of my sales sites.
If you ever want to have a weekly shot in the arm for your photography motivation then find yourself a group, or even if it’s one friend that shares the love as much as you do and gather to talk about photography.
Today’s picture is of some of members of the West Kentucky Photography Club gathered around a local Hibachi Grill called Mt. Fuji here in Madisonville, Ky. We have a weekly “Tuesday” lunch gathering at one of the local establishments in our area and while it’s not always about photography… it usually is! Come join us sometime.
Locations are always posted on the club’s website at: http://www.westkentuckyphotographyclub.org.
Photo shot with the iPhone 5s with the built-in camera and post processing was done in the Snapseed App and Photoshop CS6.
What can I say… pictures technically not all that sharp, but sometimes when you have a picture that you really like, you have to go with it.
Today’s picture brings up a point with the iPhone that we all have to contend with when we’re shooting pictures with it, or any other kind of smart phone, and that is that they’re not super responsive like a digital camera and when dealing with photographing children the moment disappears very fast. I got this one shot of Damion today before he was off to see if he could find another train or car to add to his collection.
The more you shoot and practice with your smart phone, the quicker you’ll be able to respond to these brief moments and capture visual memories that will last a lifetime.
Photo was shot with the iPhone 5s with the built-in camera and post processing was done in the Snapseed and ShakeItPhoto Apps.
Today at church we had a Derby Hat Day and everyone was encouraged to wear their favorite hat to help celebrate the Kentucky Derby. We all had a great time as always and these ladies were gracious enough to pose with their hats for today’s iPhone Photography Challenge picture. They are just a sampling of the many hats that were worn by women, men and children alike. If your church has events like this then I’d encourage you to take pictures of them to help document the life of your church family.
Photo was shot with the iPhone 5s with the built-in camera and post processing was done in the Snapseed App.
Today’s iPhone Challenge picture is pretty much straight out of the camera, so to speak.
The scene spoke to me as something that needed to look old, since it is a shot of the old signal left standing from the days when the Illinois Central Railroad used to pass through Nortonville, Ky. Now, it’s just a faded memory, but still makes a nice picture given the right treatment.
The picture was made using the iPhone 5s with the Hipstamatic App. I used the Tinto 1884 lens with the C-Type Plate film.
As I was sitting trackside today waiting for the arrival of a train to photograph I captured my iPhone picture for the day of this old house sitting on top of a hill behind where I was parked.
I like the leading lines of the driveway that draw my eye up-to the mysterious looking house that’s just peeking over the top of the hill, with the dark clouds. It all works together to add an air of spookiness to the scene as if it could be haunted.
Photo was shot with my iPhone 5s using the Pro HDR App. Post processing was done in the Snapseed App.
Today’s iPhone Challenge photo is a HDR I shot using the Pro HDR App on my iPhone 5s south of Crofton, Ky. I was out railfanning when the day was coming to a close and I had been eying the rays of sunlight coming through the clouds and was looking for a scene that would provide me an “anchor point” for the picture when I made it to this old barn on US41.
I liked the rays of light and the clouds, but I felt that the picture needed something more to help add impact to the scene and the barn provided what I needed.
A anchor point is an item in the foreground that is in focus that the eye can lock on to and then wonder out into the photograph. Effective use of anchor points in your pictures can go a long way in improving your photographs.
Post processing was done in the Snapseed App.
Today I photographed my nephew Xaiver, his mom Courtney and sister Kinsley and in doing so I captured this shot for my iPhone daily challenge picture. I’ve found when photographing kids about the age of 2-4 kids attention spans aren’t that great and they get bored with having their picture taken a lot of the time. Sometime all you have to do is give them something that they can be distracted with, like I did with Xaiver and this toy camera. I let him have his “camera” time to take pictures, well pretend pictures at least, and after a few minutes of allowing him time to take his pictures, we were able to get him to participate in the family portrait session a little longer that I was working on.
Photo was shot with the iPhone 5s with the built-in camera. Post processing was done in the Snapseed App and Photoshop CS6.
I love how the little cloud that mimics the tree in today’s iPhone Challenge photo. It’s at our local mall here in Madisonville, Ky and I have photographed it sometime in the past, but never like this.
You should always revisit locations that you’ve shot before as things change with time, lighting, weather and so on. You never know, you could come back with a better picture than last time!
Shot with my iPhone 5s using the Hipstamatic App with the Claunch Monochrome 72 film and the Lowy lens.
It’s been awhile since I posted a photo that I’ve shot for my “Machine” series I’ve been working on for a few years now. Having long term projects like this seem to keep my creative juices flowing and my eyes always searching. Not sure how it all started, but I have a lot of photos from over the years that I hope to put together into a book.
While I love my iPhone, I also shot this scene and several others of this old truck in Guthrie, Ky. I need to have a RAW file for the best results when the time comes to produce a book.
Photo shot with my iPhone 5s using the built-in camera. Post processing was done in Snapseed and Photoshop CS6.
What can I say… this has to be one of my favorite photos of my niece Elaina, and it was shot at Silver Star restaurant today during lunch. You just never know when the lighting and moment will present itself to produce a picture that you’ll treasure forever. Always be open to taking pictures of those you love!
Photo was taken with my iPhone 5s with the built-in camera. Photo was processed in Snapseed for the border and then opened as a RAW file in Photoshop for final processing.
 David as Tad, Lincoln’s son. |
 Karol Welch and her granddaughter Siena. |
I love to attend Civil War re-enactments and festivals, but I usually come back with so many pictures I like that it’s hard to choose just one as my favorite, so today I have two iPhone Photo Challenge pictures.
The first is of a young boy named David, who plays Abraham Lincoln’s son Tad. To me the picture looks like something that could well be from the Civil War era, and that’s what I was trying to go for. I had a shot of him and his dad, who plays Lincoln, but this shot by himself just says something to me.
The second is of friend Karol Welch and her granddaughter, Siena. How she’s peeking out from behind Karol’s dress and the fact that they’re both wearing sunglasses that seem to be way out of character and really makes this picture for me.
When shooting pictures always keep an eye our for things or situations that portray and emotion or feeling and your pictures will be much stronger.
Both photos were shot with my iPhone 5s using the Hipstamatic App with the Lowy lens and Claunch 72 Monochrome Film. Post processing was done in Snapseed.
Today’s iPhone Photo Challenge picture is a portrait of Arthur Yarbrough, a WWII Silver Star recipient, that lives here in Madisonville, Ky. His portrait along with 99 others here in Hopkins County, will be part of an exhibit in the Anne P. Baker Gallery at the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, here in Madisonville. I can’t wait to share these portraits and some of the stories from these amazing men and women who have served our country.
I bring this up today to let folks know that there’s a date change for the exhibit. Instead of opening Memorial Day weekend it will now open around Veterans Day weekend in November 2014. This is due to a Center Stage performance that the director feels will be a real good fit for the exhibit. We can’t tell you who yet, as the new season hasn’t been announced.
So, if you’re one of the veteran’s I photographed already, or will photograph as part of this project, be assured that once the dates have been locked in we’ll send invitations out to all of you. It’s been a honor to photograph all of you and I hope my portrait work does you justice.
Photo shot with the iPhone 5s using the Hipstamatic App with the Lowy lens and Clauch 72 Monochrome film. First post processing was done in Snapseed, where the border was applied. It was then opened as a RAW file in Photoshop CS6 where the color cast from the film was removed and other minor adjustments were made.
I’ll also add that this was shot with my iPhone, but the portraits in the exhibit will all be made with my Nikon D800. All the portraits will also be in black and white.
When photographing your kids or someone elses, don’t limit yourself to what you shoot. Getting in close and capturing details of their eyes, hands, feet, ect. will make for photographic treasures later in life. This my niece Elaina and I think she just has the most beautiful blue eyes!
Photo was shot with the iPhone 5s with the standard camera and post processing was done in Photoshop CS6.
I’ve gone back to this location several times this month waiting for the right time to photograph it. Each time I felt it needed something more than what I was seeing and the lighting just wasn’t right for me, so I kept going back at different times. Today when I pulled up there was this guy walking down the lane and the trees had leafed out enough to where I felt all the elements had all come together for what I was looking for. I love all the shadows and how mysterious it all looks!
Sometimes when you find a scene you like, but it’s not just right, be persistent and keep going back till you get what you want.
Photo shot with my iPhone 5s using the Hipstamatic App with the Lowy lens and Monochrome film.
When photographing children always be prepared for the unexpected.
Damion was kneeling on his chair looking out the window and I decided to get a photo of him doing this with his back to me, as another view of him and his hat.
Well, I shot the first picture and when he heard the shutter on my iPhone he turned toward me and smiled. Totally unexpected, but I was able to get off two shots before he went back to looking out the window. This was the second of the photos. I think the whole moment only lasted perhaps five seconds.
Photo shot with my iPhone 5s and processed using Snapseed.